Bird Talk

by Ann Jonas

When children get their hands on this book, they are sure "to really read it, to really really read it." Or so says the magnolia warbler. And the magnolia warbler is not the only one with an opinion. There are sixty-three bird species talking their way through this funny backyard story.

Genres: Birds, Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1998

Reviews

[Kathryn]

This didn't work for me. I was expecting something more educational and informative and instead it just seemed like a silly story. I know it is supposed to be more than that, though. I like the idea of sharing "memory phrases" (which birdwatchers use to help identify bird calls, for example the Robin says "Cheerily Cheer-Up") with kids but the presentation here is confusing. The book is a series of illustrations of birds making calls, though some of the groupings are clever and entertaining with the context (such as a bird peeking in the window of a kitchen saying "Tea-Kettle, Tea-Kettle!" and another saying "Drink Your Tea" (their "memory phrases") watching a teakettle on the stove steaming) But, the birds are not labeled so unless you are experienced enough to identify birds by sight, you won't even know which birds are making the calls (until you flip to the list in the back and I found it frustrating and annoying to go back-and-forth) and I don't see how anyone could really translate the sounds in the book to hearing a bird-call in the wild. I think you need to pair this with an app or website that will let children listen to the call FIRST and THEN let them learn the accompanying "memory phrase" or it won't make sense. It appears to have several positive reviews so maybe my expectations were just off-base.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This nicely illustrated bird title focuses on on the “memory phrases” (words/phrases) people have assigned to the sound of bird calls. Title could have been improved by having the species of birds named on the illustrations, however copyrighted in 1999 when one didn’t see small print on the illustrations identifying objects which we now see in many picture books with science themes. There is a two page addendum by page number listing bird names and their memory phrases, plus a brief bibliography listing mostly adult level titles.

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a silly book. This is a book to read aloud. The author took the bird call memory pronunciations from a popular bird guide and turned them into a story of sorts. My daughter and I had fun repeating the silly bird calls: "See, see, see, Miss Beecher, please, please, pleased to meet'cha" and "To really read it, to really, really read it", etc. It didn't teach us much about birds but it was still fun to read.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly beautiful illustrations are both expressive and scientifically accurate, as is the simple but informative text about ways birds communicate with each other. Back matter adds more details with bird profiles, glossary, references, websites, and an author's note.

[Liz Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of a cool book!!! If I took some time, I might be able to figure out (and remember) the calls of some of the birds in my yard. Regardless, the kids enjoyed this book. Lots to notice and think about.

[kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liby loves this book. It's boring to me, but I would suspect that if you brought the book with you while birdwatching, it might be fun.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Displays various types of birds, their calls, and the 'memory-phrases' that bird-watchers use to remember the birds' 'songs.'

[Sonic · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not very informative or well done. I felt like this could have been so much better.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a clever way to remember the songs of the different birds.